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Best networking and storage Black Friday deals of 2014

Looking to expand your Wi-Fi network or your digital-content library? CNET editor Dong Ngo searches for deals and lets you know what to spend money on this holiday season.

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Dong Ngo
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1 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Time to expand your network and digital storage, for cheap

(Updated Nov. 26 with new deals.)

Black Friday is almost here, giving you many shopping opportunities. Routers and storage devices may not be sexy gifts, but they're as practical as you can get.

To help you prepare for your trip to the store (or online), I've gathered up the best deals on the best storage and networking products you can find this holiday season. Check back frequently over the next week and a half as I'll be updating this list frequently.

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WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo 4TB (WD Store, $250)

The My Book Thunderbotl Duo is a great workhorse Thunderbolt storage device that supports RAID 0 or RAID 1 to provide either fast or safe storage space for your Mac. Starting today, you can get it for just half of its original price at WD Online Store, where you an also find half a dozen other external storage devices for up to 50 percent off.

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3 of 17 Dong Ngo

Seagate Backup Plus Desktop external hard drive (Best Buy, $140)

I like the Seagate Backup Plus Desktop external hard drive for its top storage space, helpful backup software and very fast USB 3.0 performance. For $140, this is a great deal that you can find at Best Buy during its Black Friday sale.

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4 of 17 Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET

Far Cry 4 bundle with Samsung SSD 840 Evo (Samsung/Ubisoft)

If you're thinking of upgrading your computer to play Far Cry 4, Samsung and Ubisoft have just made things easier. Starting today (11/26), you can get a free copy of the game with the purchase of a Samsung SSD 840 Evo solid-state drive (SSD) 256GB or larger, at Best Buy, Amazon.com, NewEgg.com, Microcenter, Fry’s, Tiger Direct, B&H, or Adorama. If you don't care about the game and just want a great deal on a Samusng SSD, check out the next slide.

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5 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Samsung SSDs (Samsung online store, up to 60 percent off)

When it comes to solid-state drives (SSDs), Samsung has been one of the best vendors. And if you've been waiting to upgrade your computer to the best performance possible, your chance is coming up this November 27. All recent Samsung SSDs, including the 840 Pro, 840 Evo and 850 Pro, will be available for up to 60 percent off at Samsung's online store.

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6 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

WD My Passport Ultra 1.5TB (TigerDirect, $60)

If you need a portable drive that offers both great performance and lots of storage space, the 1.5TB WD My Passport Ultra makes a great addition to your notebook. And during Black Friday, you can get it from Tiger Direct for just $60, half of its regular price.

OCZ Vector 150 240GB (TigerDirect, $85)
7 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

OCZ Vector 150 240GB (TigerDirect, $85)

With fast performance and a good warranty, the 240GB OCZ Vector 150 is a great SSD for first-time adopters. And during Black Friday, you can get it at TigerDirect for just $85, about half of its normal price.

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8 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Linksys EA6400 Smart Wi-Fi router (Best Buy/Amazon, $90)

The EA6400 Smart Wi-Fi router is more than just an excellent Linksys device, it's also one of the best midlevel 802.11ac routers you can find. It's a great networking gateway for a medium-size home and you'll save about $60 from its regular price this Black Friday at Best BuyAmazon will also match this price during this time.

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9 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Solo G3 2TB (Costco, $250)

The SoloPro G3 is one of a few disaster-proof external hard drives. It's perfect for storing important information safely and securely should disaster strike. That makes it more expensive than other devices with the same capacity, but you will soon be able to find it for $100 to $150 less than the street price during Black Friday. The 2TB version will be available on Newegg for just $250 while Costco members can enjoy even better deals paying $250 for the 3TB version or $399 for the 4TB version.

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10 of 17 Amazon

Netgear R6200 (Amazon, $60)

The Netgear R6200 is a great choice for an entry-level home Wi-Fi router that supports the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. You'll find it on Amazon for just $60 during the Black Friday sale, significantly less than the regular price of over $200.

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11 of 17 CNET

SanDisk Blank Media (Costco, up to $25 off)

If you're looking for blank flash media, such as thumbdrives or SD cards during Black Friday, you can take off $10, $15 and $25 off the listed prices of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB devices, respectively, at any Costco store.

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12 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Seagate Backup Plus Slim (Best Buy/Amazon, $80)

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a great portable drive thanks to its fast performance, compact design and the massive 2TB of storage space. At only $80 at Best Buy and Amazon,  it's really a great deal that you don't want to miss.

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13 of 17 Josh Miller/CNET

Netgear WNDR3400 N600 router (Radio Shack, $50)

Looking for a reliable router to share Internet access among multiple Wi-Fi devices? The Netgear N600 WNDR3400 fits the bill. This is a simple workhorse dual-band router that's an awesome deal for just $50 at any Radio Shack store.

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14 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Seagate Backup Plus Desktop (Costco, $25 off)

Costco has its own Black Friday deal for the popular Seagate Backup Plus Desktop drive. You can take $25 off from the listed price of $140 at any Costco stores.

Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router
15 of 17 Dong Ngo/CNET

Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Wi-Fi Router (Radio Shack/Staples, $170)

The Nighthawk AC1900 Wi-Fi Router currently is the best router from Netgear. You'll be able to get it from Radio Shack and Staples for just $170, significantly less than the regular price, during Black Friday sale.

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16 of 17 SanDisk

SanDisk 16GB Cruzer USB Flash Drive (Radio Shack, $5)

Sure, 16GB is not the highest capacity you can get from a thumbdrive, but this Black Friday, you can buy a stocking filler at Radio Shack or Best Buy for just $5 each.

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17 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

More deals coming soon

I'll keep updating this list periodically before Thanksgiving as I find more deals.

In the meantime, check out:

>> CNET's full Holiday Gift Guide

>> CNET's complete Black Friday coverage

>> Every Black Friday deal we've found

>> CNET's complete Cyber Monday coverage

>> CNET's Deals & Promotions page

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